The invention pertains to a golf bag. More particularly, a golf bag which comprises a main bag and a smaller carrying bag, wherein the carrying bag is removably attached to the main bag.
The present invention relates to golf bags. Conventionally, bags of this type are constituted by rigid and/or semi-rigid containers which are fairly voluminous and are provided with club-carrying compartments, as well as with further integral accessory-carrying compartments or pockets. These bags may either be carried by a golfer or they may be attached to a pull cart or a golf cart. In many instances the bags are not suitable for carrying on the shoulder due to their bulk and weight. Furthermore, these bags in many instances have irregular shapes, often with bulky bulging portions, and are thus inconvenient in use and difficult to place when not in use. The present invention is directed to relieving problems and inconveniences that may arise with an overly heavy and bulky golf bag.
One particular problem that arises is the situation a golfer finds himself in when the player""s ball is in a lie unseen from the player""s cart. Many times golf courses have designated areas which are off limits to golf carts, and sometimes physically unreachable in the golf cart. This is may be the case when golf courses require that the carts stay on a designated path. A golfer""s ball may be on the opposite side of the fairway. Similarly, access to a position in close proximity to the greens is almost always restricted. It is in these situations that the golfer must investigate his lie prior to choosing his club. Many times a golfer will take a number of clubs from his bag and carry them to his ball. This can be an inconvenient situation because the golfer may have to carry many clubs as the position and lie of the ball can markedly alter ones club selection. Still further, carrying a number of loose clubs to ones ball, as every golfer knows, may result in a lost club by overlooking one or two of the clubs which are not used for the shot when the golfer returns to his cart.
Reicherstorfer (WO 91/18660) and Aliano, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,084) disclose bags having detachable carrying bags. However, the coupling mechanisms which these bags use are difficult to use, in that the carrying bag is not easily removable, and/or are aesthetically awkward, in that they are in plain sight and add clutter to the overall appearance. These bags are also undesirable due to their punitive cost. There is a need for a dual carrying bag system which comprises a coupling mechanism which can be easily used, which is aesthetically pleasing and which has an expectable cost.
The present invention provides for all of these needs. It allows for all the advantages of a conventional golf bag in addition to a small detachable carrying bag. With the present invention, the golfer will be able to secure the golf bag to a carrying device, such as a golf cart, and easily detach a small portion of the bag to carry a small number of clubs to a remote site on the golf course, without having to carry the entire bag. The coupling mechanism is easily operated by a user with one hand. The mechanism is also hidden from view when the bags are coupled and does not add to the clutter of the outward appearance. The bag is also economically favorable.
All US patents and applications all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention in any way, the invention is briefly summarized in some of its aspects below.
The object of the present invention is to avoid the above problems and to produce a bag, particularly but not exclusively a golf bag, which allows the user to easily and rapidly remove a small portion of the bag to carry a small number of clubs. The present invention also provides for a hidden coupling mechanism which is aesthetically pleasing and which is not financially punitive.
In order to achieve these objects, the subject of the invention is a bag, particularly but not exclusively a golf bag, characterized in that it comprises a main bag and a smaller carrying bag, capable of carrying approximately 1-5 clubs. When the two bags are joined, the resulting configuration is typical of a conventional golf bag. However, the user may easily detach the carrying bag with one hand via a hidden coupling mechanism which secures the two bags together and carry a small number of clubs to a remote area of the course without having to carry the entire bag. This allows the user to leave a majority of the bag and clubs in a particular place, such as the golf cart, while using a small portion of the overall bag to carry a small number of clubs to an area remote from the position of the main bag.
In the particular case of a golf bag, the accessories which complete the equipment of the bag are the conventional elements of a golf bag, such as, but not limited to, a carrying handle, the shoulder-strap, umbrella holder, ball holder, the rain hood (which can be fitted to cover the clubs and is in turn detachable from the assembly and can even be folded between the two club-carrying compartments and the accessory-carrying bag when it is not in use), any pockets formed on the outside of the club-carrying compartments for carrying items which are bulky and not bulky (score-cards, tees, markers, gloves, etc.).
Structurally, there are no limits to the type of material which can be used for the various components, in that the club-carrying compartments and the accessory-carrying bag can be made equally well with soft walls (artificial leather, leather; textile) or with rigid walls (laminated resin, plastics material; metal; cellulose compounds, etc.) The rigidity necessary for the stress points intended to support the loads or to provide the force required may be achieved by local reinforcement or reinforcement of the whole length. The general geometrical shape of the bag can vary.
Although the use of the bag according to the invention as a golf bag is particularly advantageous, different uses, such as a traveling bag or suitcase, can be considered just as convenient.